Motihari immolation: Bihar govt recommends CBI probe

Activist Swami Agnivesh, who is leading protest for the mill workers, said: “We welcome the order. But we also want the state government to remove the East Champaran SP, DSP and Chhatauni police station in-charge.”

The Bihar government has recommended a CBI probe into the self-immolation of two workers of a Motihari sugar mill in April over non-payment of salaries for 133 months. The workers, Naresh Srivastava (50) and Suraj Baitha (49), immolated themselves on April 10. Widows of the deceased workers and a dozen mill workers have been protesting at Jantar Mantar in Delhi against the “inept handling” of the situation and “not being able to prevent the two workers from immolating themselves” despite Srivastava’s warning to the East Champaran district administration in March.

Bihar Additional Director General of Police (headquarters) S K Singhal told The Indian Express: “We have made the recommendation for CBI probe into the Motihari case. It is over to the investigating agency to begin the process of taking over probe.” The state government had earlier ordered a probe by a special investigation team. Activist Swami Agnivesh, who is leading protest for the mill workers, said: “We welcome the order. But we also want the state government to remove the East Champaran SP, DSP and Chhatauni police station in-charge.”